Dalai Lama calls for U.S. to share its
values

DAVIE, Fla. —Voicing admiration for American values, the Dalai Lama on Tuesday called for the United States to spread freedom to other lands.

"America is a champion of democracy and liberty; you should be proud of those values," the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader told more than 3,500 listeners at Nova Southeastern University in Davie. "When you deal with other countries, you must keep these things very important."

His talk, "Universal Responsibility," was delivered to students, staff and faculty at Nova's Don Taft University Center.

The Dalai Lama said education and mass media had caused people to think in terms of respect and cooperation, rather than conflict.

Premium content for only $0.99

"It is nearly 10 years since the start of the 21st century, but already much has changed," he said at the gathering. "Now, we should consider that every part of the world is part of me. We still need to educate people that our own interests depend on others' interests."

In his speech, he called for schools to teach compassion and responsibility, rather than just facts. "With too much education, even a brilliant mind can go wrong, to destruction," he said. "Ultimately, inner values are essential."

He compared the relationship of nations to the relationships of people to families and communities.

"In a family, each person carries some of the responsibility," he said. "The human being is basically a social animal. Each person depends on the community."

The Dalai Lama said China deserves to improve its economy and to have a place among more powerful nations.

In a Q&A session, he said his talk with President Obama last week dealt with Tibet and the need to educate its young people.